Concepts of Mathematics and Numeracy
Discuss about the Numeracy and Mathematics for Academic Language and Learning.
In numerous situations, learning measurements and computations can help in covering skills, behaviour and disposition by applying the tools of mathematics. This is because students are required to be mathematically competent (Ausraliancurriculum.edu.au., 2018). Mathematics is the field of study dealing with measurements and numbers. Dealing with concept that are difficult can also be made easier using mathematics. Numeracy is a newly introduced term which is used widely with mathematics (Irwin, Baker & Carter, 2018). Brief description about the concepts of mathematics and numeracy with their similarities and differences will be discussed in this assignment. For a clearer understanding of the concepts, examples will be used which will describe the application of mathematics and numeracy in the real life.
The specialized field of study which involves the use of numbers and different specialized operations is known as mathematics. Mathematics helps people to deal with quantities much more easily (Whitehead, 2017). Mathematical symbols and operations help to understand easily the different concepts of speed, velocity, time etc. These are known as applied mathematics. Pure mathematics mostly deals with symbols and signs more than numbers (Ostrowski, 2016). There are many subfields of mathematics. These are arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, statistics etc. All these concepts are helpful in learning the everyday situations that take place. Mathematics is thus an abstract thinking of experiences and its generalizations (Wang, 2016).
Numeracy is a newly coined term. The concept has been developed to deal with the mathematical concepts in daily life using basic skills and competencies (Goos, Vale & Stillman, 2017). Different people have different opinions and some people think that addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are the basic concepts. To some other people, the concept of numeracy is more fundamental than these basic mathematical concepts (Karaali, Villafane Hernandez & Taylor, 2016). Numeracy is the method in which mathematics is approached (Khan & Mason, 2015). Numeracy involves a learning which is cross cultural. It is also more coherent and involves thinking which is logical and can be applied to several curriculums (Kaye, 2015). With the help of the concepts of numeracy, the number systems and its computation skills becomes easy and thus it helps in solving problems (australiancurriculum.edu, 2018). Moreover, presentation of the data with the help of charts, graphs and diagrams also comes under numeracy (Parnis & Petocz, 2016).
These two concepts of mathematics and numeracy are hugely interrelated, yet there are some differences between the two. The study of mathematics involves numbers, space and concepts that relate two different characteristics of the same object (McNally, 2015). Mathematics can help in solving complex problems of different fields of study. There exist no scientific subjects that can be understood without the help of basic mathematical concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division (Purpura & Reid, 2016). Numeracy, on the other hand, is the application of mathematics in different situations (Winn & Brady, 2015). The concepts of numeracy can thus be used in everyday life as well along with the concepts of mathematics (Scotland, 2015). Hence, considering the similarities, it can be said that there is involvement of numbers to both the concepts of mathematics and numeracy and both can be applied in the daily life events.
Application of Mathematics and Numeracy in Real-life
There are various daily life events in which mathematics can be applied. One such example can be explained with grocery shopping. Both mathematics and numeracy concepts can be applied in the event of grocery shopping. At the time of shopping, price per unit of the products, weight of the products, calculating the price of the goods when discount percentage is given, estimating the price that has to be paid finally are all application of mathematics in grocery shopping (Howell & Hopkins, 2017). On the other hand, before starting to shop, a budget is generally fixed such that all the shopping should not exceed the estimated budget. The number of units of the goods that has to be bought so that the final price remains within the budget also has to be evaluated at the time of shopping. These are the situations where numeracy is applied (Felton-Koestler, Sutherland & Tracy, 2016).
Another example where the concept of mathematics and numeracy can be applied is in cooking. While cooking, it is important to follow a recipe. The quantity of the ingredients that has to be used to make any dish, calculating the time that is required to complete the dish, mixing the ingredients in the correct proportion is necessary to follow to make the dish tasty. All these calculations involve mathematics (Hudson, Henderson & Hudson, 2015). On the other hand, deciding the quantity of the dish that has to be prepared so that it will be sufficient for the number of people to serve requires the concept of numeracy (Zosh, Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkoff, 2018).
There are various other situations in which mathematics is related. In the case of constructing buildings, the concept of geometry is necessary. The shapes, sizes and designs of the buildings needs various measurements and thus comes the concepts of mathematics (Henderson et al., 2015). One of the most important technologies that are used nowadays is internet banking. To make the transactions secure, cryptology is applied. Cryptology involves mathematics to a huge extent (Van Tilborg & Jajodia, 2014). Mathematical logic is also involved in solving of puzzles. Estimating the chances of winning in a casino game also involves mathematics (Green et al., 2017).
Mathematics is also involved in various natural events. The shape of a butterfly is symmetric which helps the butterfly to keep the body balance and also helps it to fly. The designs in its wings are also perfectly symmetric (Iwata et al., 2015). Snowflakes or the face of a tiger follows rotational symmetry. Bees make their hives with the help of hexagonal honey combes. Hexagonal shapes have greater area and lesser perimeter than squares or triangles. Thus, less wax will be required to construct each comb and the honey produced in the combes will be maximum (Takahashi et al., 2017). The Fibonacci sequence in which one term is defined as the sum of the previous two terms, explains the number of petals in a flower. Another concept of fractals can be used to explain the random pattern of fern or the pattern in tree branches (fractalfoundation.org, 2013).
Similarities and Differences between Mathematics and Numeracy
Thus, from all the discussions conducted in this article, it can be clearly concluded that mathematics is the derivations of certain situations and numeracy is the application of these results. The uses of numeracy are wide spread. The concept of numeracy can be applied in various government policies to make future predictions of policies. These policies have an impact in the nation’s economic growth. This indicates the extent to which the two most important real life concepts, mathematics and numeracy are interrelated.
References
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Felton-Koestler, M. D., Sutherland, E., & Tracy, N. (2016). Supporting prospective teachers in using mathematics to understand our world. Special Issue Mathematics Education: Through the Lens of Social Justice.
Fractal Foundation. (2013). What are fractals? Retrieved from https://fractalfoundation.org/resources/what-are-fractals/
Green, S., McGlynn, S., Stuart, D., Fahey, P., Pettigrew, J., & Clothier, P. (2017). Assessment of numeracy in sports and exercise science students at an Australian university. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 1-17.
Goos, M., Vale, C., & Stillman, G. (2017). Teaching secondary school mathematics: Research and practice for the 21st century. Allen &? Unwin.
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Howell, S. & Hopkins, S. (2017). Understanding and supporting numeracy competence. Inclusion in Action with Student Resource Access 12 Months, p.390.
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Purpura, D. J., & Reid, E. E. (2016). Mathematics and language: Individual and group differences in mathematical language skills in young children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 36, 259-268.
Scotland, E. (2015). Curriculum for excellence: Numeracy and mathematics experiences and outcomes. Retrieved December, 15.
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Winn, T., & Brady, K. (2015). How an Awareness of Metaphor can Inform Mathematics and Numeracy Teaching and Learning.
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